Bahamas PM warns country could be condemed to a 'watery grave' if climate crisis not taken seriously
From above, The Bahamas look like a tropical paradise but the reality on the ground is that they are at risk.
80% of the islands which make up The Bahamas are less than three metres above sea level, making them very vulnerable to climate-induced sea level rise.
Severe weather events like hurricanes are also becoming more frequent. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian became the most intense tropical cyclone to ever hit the islands causing 84 deaths and a record $5.1 billion dollars of damage.
Faced with the effects of climate change, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis says he is 'terribly concerned' for the future of his country.
Parts of the island he grew up on as a child, have disappeared into the sea already and he fears for the future of his country if world leaders do not step up.
'We have produced the challenges that we face today because of our own conduct and our own action.'There are real issues to be seen if you do not just sit in your ivory tower and talk about these issues.'
He is appealing for the world to take the crisis seriously and follow discussions like the annual COP meetings with meaningful action.
'If not, we will be condemned to a watery grave or become climate refugees' he warns.
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ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
Bahamas PM warns country could be condemed to a 'watery grave' if climate crisis not taken seriously
From above, The Bahamas look like a tropical paradise but the reality on the ground is that they are at risk. 80% of the islands which make up The Bahamas are less than three metres above sea level, making them very vulnerable to climate-induced sea level rise. Severe weather events like hurricanes are also becoming more frequent. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian became the most intense tropical cyclone to ever hit the islands causing 84 deaths and a record $5.1 billion dollars of damage. Faced with the effects of climate change, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis says he is 'terribly concerned' for the future of his country. Parts of the island he grew up on as a child, have disappeared into the sea already and he fears for the future of his country if world leaders do not step up. 'We have produced the challenges that we face today because of our own conduct and our own action.'There are real issues to be seen if you do not just sit in your ivory tower and talk about these issues.' He is appealing for the world to take the crisis seriously and follow discussions like the annual COP meetings with meaningful action. 'If not, we will be condemned to a watery grave or become climate refugees' he warns.
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
King writes privately to Joe Biden to share his support after former president diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
The King is still undergoing treatment for his own cancer WORDS OF SUPPORT King writes privately to Joe Biden to share his support after former president diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer KING Charles has written to former US President Joe Biden following his diagnosis with prostate cancer, the palace has said. The King, who is still undergoing his own treatment for an undisclosed cancer, expressed his support and sent his best wishes to Biden privately. 5 King Charles pictured with Joe Biden in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, during the former president's visit to the UK in 2023 Credit: PA 5 The 82-year-old later wrote on X: "Cancer touches us all," sharing a picture of himself with his wife and their cat Credit: joebiden/Instagram 5 Former US President Barack Obama sent well-wishes to Biden Credit: Reuters The King hosted the then-American leader for tea and talks at Windsor in July 2023, with a spokesman for the monarch saying the relationship between the pair had been "extremely cordial". The monarch, 76, has been treated for cancer every week for more than a year, and recently penned an optimistic message saying "cancer diagnosis need never mean facing the future without hope and support". He said those behind cancer research breakthroughs "have my whole family's deepest admiration and gratitude". Biden also attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022. In 2021, he and Charles, then the Prince of Wales, held a bilateral meeting during the Cop-26 summit in Glasgow. Biden was diagnosed on Friday, with tests revealing the cancer had spread to his bones. The 82-year-old later wrote on X: "Cancer touches us all," sharing a picture of himself with his wife and their cat. "Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. "Thank you for lifting us up with love and support." Biden's health update came after he was experiencing urinary symptoms. During a medical exam, a prostate nodule was detected. Biden's team said the cancer appears to be hormone sensitive, meaning there's a prospect it could be "effectively managed." The president and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his doctors. Current American President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth social platform: "Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis. "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery." Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, and former president Barack Obama also wished him well. "Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace," Obama said. "We pray for a fast and full recovery." Biden's diagnosis comes three years after he had non-melanoma skin cancers removed. "These lesions were completely excised, with clear margins," officials said at the time. The following year, Biden had a cancerous legion removed from his chest. The finding was confirmed in a memo following his annual physical exam. "All cancerous tissue was successfully removed," Kevin O'Connor, the-then White House physician said at the time. O'Connor revealed Biden didn't need any further treatment. Speculation about Biden's fitness for office was rampant during his only term as president. He was forced to abandon his re-election campaign in July 2024 weeks after a disastrous debate against Trump. King Charles recently hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to "celebrate and above all thank" health heroes who "selflessly give care, comfort and reassurance" to the 1,000 people every day diagnosed with cancer. In a written message for the event, he added: "But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity." The Princess of Wales, 43, who is in remission, has also been on a long cancer struggle. 5 Trump posted on his Truth social platform following Biden's health news Credit: Reuters 5 King Charles and Joe Biden at the dais in the Quadrangle before inspecting the Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle on July 10, 2023 Credit: Getty More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Independent
30-04-2025
- The Independent
How Blair has changed the agenda for Labour on climate change
It is a little ironic that it has fallen to Sir Tony Blair, who last fought a general election 20 years ago and is unlikely to stand again in any such contest, to point out some hard or 'inconvenient' facts to his colleagues who are practising politicians and presently in government. He has lost none of his instinct for judging public opinion and is as incisive and perceptive as ever. Outside government, but not exactly outside politics, he can say things that are 'unhelpful' but must be faced up to. He is a friendly critic – although, as he is at pains to make clear, Sir Tony remains supportive of the government and the 2050 net zero target. The foreword he has contributed to the latest report on energy and climate from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) has provoked heated argument – and rightly so. These are important, transcendent matters and have to be right – for the sake of the future of the planet and the living standards of people in Britain. Sir Tony has changed the agenda for Labour on climate change. For some time, the arguments on climate change and energy policy have drifted away from practical action and descended into just another totemic battle in the culture wars. This has had the unfortunate consequence that the environmental cause has been allowed to sound cranky, extremist and increasingly out of touch with an important strand of public opinion. Targets that seem – and sadly sometimes are – too ambitious and missed become discredited; and the credibility of ministers trying desperately to stick to them is damaged. Failure breeds failure. Much the same goes, as Sir Tony implies, for the grandiose international summits such as the Cop series. Some, such as Cop26, can generate genuine consensus and momentum; others, such as the most recent Cop29 in oil-rich Azerbaijan, have been ridiculed for their lack of consensus and paltry results. Policies and climate conferences that talk big and deliver little do nothing to restrain greenhouse gas emissions to the levels required to avoid catastrophic, irreversible chaos in future decades. Practical men and women working hard in government and across the country to green the economy must deal with the world as it is, not as they would wish it to be. Sir Tony is right to make them look out into that world as it changes, and not always for the best. Sir Tony points to global trends that undermine today's climate approach: fossil fuel use set to rise further up to 2030; airline travel, hugely damaging to the environment, to double over the next 20 years. By 2030, almost two-thirds of emissions will come from China, India, and southeast Asia, while President Trump's America, outside the Paris climate accords, is set to 'drill, baby, drill'. These are 'inconvenient facts', he says, that mean that 'any strategy based on either 'phasing out' fossil fuels in the short term or limiting consumption is a strategy doomed to fail'. The most powerful argument in the climate-sceptics' armoury is that what the UK does is so trivial when set against these global trends that it is hard to justify the effort – and the costs – involved. This is perfectly logical, and a view favoured at least in some quarters, albeit as an excuse to do nothing. However, it neglects the fact that if the UK were to abandon its commitments to the various Paris and Cop agreements, it would give China and other emerging economies a perfect justification to ignore their own promises as well. China, for all its faults and its current prodigious use of fossil fuels, is a signatory to the agreements and has agreed to net zero, but on a longer timescale – by 2060. That is worth trying to preserve. In some areas, notably electric vehicles and solar technology, China is a world leader. The other idea that has taken hold far too readily in the UK is that electricity bills are artificially high because of green levies. In fact, these are a relatively minor part of domestic or even industrial bills. The high cost of gas and electricity is directly linked to world prices, still elevated by President Putin's war in Ukraine and the consequent constriction of Russian energy exports. Green levies typically make up a small portion of your energy bill, ranging from about 11 per cent of an average dual fuel bill to 16 per cent of an electricity bill. They add around £50 to a typical annual gas bill and about £140 to an electricity bill. These levies fund programmes like the warm home discount scheme and support renewable energy sources. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, spends countless hours in the House of Commons and in the media patiently explaining his pro-net zero views, but the key messages are not cutting through. The environmental case for decarbonisation is thus being lost. The public remains concerned about climate change, but is equally worried that the government doesn't have a workable, affordable plan – still less one to make the other big polluters on earth do their bit. Helpfully, Sir Tony has some suggestions as to what the government can do – some of which, as Sir Keir Starmer has pointed out, ministers are already pursuing. Carbon capture, for example, is an increasingly practical technology. The government is spending £22bn on this, but much of it has to be recovered from customer bills, which of course makes no allowance for the ability to pay. More nuclear power (and small module reactors) is also one of the TBI's proposals – and here Mr Miliband agrees, though they will take time to build and will incur some considerable cost. They are also of one mind about the role of AI and smarter energy use. The independent Climate Change Committee agrees with the TBI that more needs to be done on adaptation, such as flood defences, to mitigate now unavoidable change – but again, these measures, which command wide support, will cost money. The TBI report says little about where such funding for change and hi-tech investment will be found. For those who understand and accept the dangers of manmade climate change, Sir Tony included, there remains no alternative to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels. Many of the arguments about a 'climate hoax' have been won, the need for change recognised. Investing in plentiful, green clean energy is good for economic growth because it has the potential to reduce business costs and boost living standards through sustainable lower bills. It means national energy security. The aims are honourable, indeed essential, but some flexibility is also inevitable along the way – as was recently seen when the government relaxed the electric vehicle mandate. Sir Tony is right to remind his successor about the virtues of pragmatism and gradual change, and stress that he supports government policy. Sir Keir, who has shown a Blair-like willingness to adjust policy across the board, including on the expansion of Britain's airports, will likely agree with Sir Tony's contribution – and the implied criticism of Mr Miliband, even if the timing is a little inconvenient.
